Trapped
by HungryForMore74
Summary: Before she became Detective Katniss Mellark she was rookie Police Officer Katniss Everdeen. It started out as a just another day on foot patrol on Seventh Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street when it all happened.
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning

Before she was Detective Katniss Mellark she was rookie Police Officer Katniss Everdeen. She started today on foot patrol at Seventh Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street. Then it happened.

* * *

**Chapter 1 The Beginning**

"What have I told you Tomas?"

"But I'm not hurting anybody."

"The stores are complaining. You can't sell your bags on the street. Now pick up your stuff and get out of here." He scoops up his counterfeit Gucci handbags in a sheet and takes off.

"Thank you Officer Katniss."

"No problem Mrs. Kim." The noise was deafening. We look up in the sky towards uptown and we see it. A giant airplane flying way too low. It goes over us at an enormous speed.

"Officer Katniss. That doesn't seem right." Mrs. Kim says to me.

"I don't think it is." I stare at the plane when suddenly..."

"Holy shit. Did you see that. It hit the building!"  
"That's the Twin Towers!"  
"Holy Shit!"  
"Oh my God!"  
"Holy Shit!"  
"What happened?"  
"A Plane hit the towers."

I look at the crowd streaming onto the corner and into the street. Traffic is coming to a stand still. People are getting out of their cars. I get into the middle of the street.

"PEOPLE! Back on the sidewalk!" They start to respond.

"YOU! Back in your car!" He just stands their staring. I smack his hood. " Come on. Let's go!" He nods his head and gets back in and takes off. I hear a siren in the distance coming towards me. I stop traffic on Thirty-fourth street to allow the patrol car to get by.

I hear more sirens. Two ambulances are streaming downtown.

More sirens. A whole line of black suburbans are coming at me from the east. I now stop the downtown traffic when one, two, three, four, five of them come through.

An airhorn is blasting. It's the big ESU truck, One-Adam, trying to get through. I start the downtown traffic again. I watch as they pass. One of the officers is standing in the back doorway of the truck. I wave. He waves back. "Good luck." I say to myself.

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" I look at the person screaming and follow her pointing arm downtown. There has been another explosion. I can see the flames and smoke rising up into the air.

"What was that?" I ask a passerby.

"Another plane. Another fucking plane. Oh shit, we're under attack." He screams out.

The corner I'm on has now deteriorated into a mass of people screaming and crying. Even though my corner is miles from the Twin Towers these people are starting to panic. "EVERYONE! ON THE SIDEWALK!" The best thing I can do is keep people from getting hit by a car.

When I turn around I see a mass of red lights coming at me. I scream at the cars to move. The lights are getting closer. The sirens louder. Cars on Thirty-fourth street are trying to sneak through the intersection. I hear a loud man screaming. I turn and look and see a group of construction workers in their hardhats have formed a line blocking traffic. The people across the street are also inspired to help by doing the same. Downtown traffic flows again.

The cars spreading apart remind me of the parting of the Red Sea. The fire engines and ladder trucks move through as fast as they can. There are firefighters hanging off the rear tailboard. Something they haven't done in years.

Things start to calm down on my corner as time goes on. Every once in a while I turn around and look at it. I think about the people inside and the cops and firemen in that building trying to save them. I clear a path for a police van screaming down Seventh. It comes to a skidding stop. "EVERDEEN! Get in and drive!" My Sargent screams at me as he moves over to the passenger seat. The van is filled with officers on foot patrol on this side of Midtown.

I turn on Thirty-fourth. "What are you doin'? Go downtown!"

"Eleventh is wide open. I heard it on the radio." Sarge sits and gets on the radio. I'm not sure I was the best choice to drive. I am a speed demon. I don't think my brother officers are too confident that I'll get them there in one piece.

"Shit Everdeen. Be careful!"

As we get closer the look of things gets worse. Two buildings on fire. Thousands of people trapped. Hundreds of cops and fireman in that building trying to help.

"West is all tied up. Get us onto Church." Sarge says to me.

I turn on Chambers and then a right onto Church. There are scores of police, fire and ems vehicles. We're running downtown. People are running uptown.

Park here. I pull over. Sarge yells out. "Everyone out!" We pile out of the van. "Leave your hats, batons and guns." We put everything in a container in the rear of the van. "Take a helmet. Make sure you have a radio and flashlight." I look around and see a group of men and woman that had no idea that this clear blue late summer day would turn into hell on earth.

"Everdeen you're with me. Everyone else pair off. Our job is to make sure the subways are clear. Then block them off and keep everyone else out. "Let's go!"

We run to the Cortlandt Street station. "Rocco, Rodriquez. Block these exits. Everdeen, you're with me." We descend into the subway. Normally there would be thousands of people coming and going through this station. Today it's desolate. There is a TA worker on the platform. "Is anybody down here that you know of?"

He points to a group running up now. "This is the last of them."

"Good. We're going to do a final sweep." We go over the turnstile. "Let's go left first."

"Hello, anyone here!" I scream out.

"You take the first three cars. Then walk into the tunnel. Go about fifty feet. There might be some homeless people down there."

"Got it." I run to the cars I need to check. Empty. Empty. Empty. I turn on my flashlight and start to walk along the catwalk the runs parallel to the tracks. "Hello! Anyone here!" I sweep the tracks with my flashlight.  
I've gone about fifty feet. "That's far enough." I say under my breath. I turn around and walk to the platform.

When I get to the platform. I see my Sargent and wave to him. "All clear!" I jog towards him. Then I feel it. The rumbling. It feels like a freaking earthquake. Jeez! What's happening. Plaster and then cement start to fall from the ceiling. Sarge is stumbling and trying to get his footing. I can feel the ground rise under my feet. Holy shit. The world is crashing around me.

I look to the right and spot a doorway. I've always heard the doorway is the safest place to be. I stumble to it and fall into the door. All the lights go out. It's pitch black. The emergency lights go on. but only for a second. Then it goes dark again. The noise is deafening. It is so loud. I can't here anything but the rumbling.

Before I know it the roof comes down. Debris presses me against the door. I can't move. I try to turn but I can't.

I'm trapped.

* * *

Yes this is the same Katniss from "The Wedding" and "We're Having a Baby." Those stories are sexy, funny with a little light drama. I decided to run this on it's own because it is neither sexy, funny or light.

This started out to be a chapter in 30 Days of inspiration but it turned out to be too long.

FireGirl tells the story of a group of firefighters on September Eleventh. This one tells a police officer's story. In the future I will tell the story of a paramedic.


	2. Chapter 2 I'm Trapped

**Chapter 2 I'm Trapped**

I'm trapped against a door. I am in total darkness. I can't move any part of my body except my right arm. I try to yell for help but I have so much pressure on my chest that I can barely get any sound out. I try again. "HELP!" Shit, I can't even hear myself.

Damn. Wait. My radio. It's still on my belt. I can hear it. I can't reach it. One mayday after another. MOS trapped. Sarge. Oh God, Is Sarge okay. I don't hear anything from him. Neither yelling nor on the radio.

I think about my Sargent. I don't even know anything about him. All I know about him is that I trust him enough to put my life in his hands.

Thoughts of never getting out of here run through my mind. Not seeing my family anymore. My friends, all gone. Oh Christ, Peeta. I'll never see Peeta again. Oh Peeta I love you so much.

In the movies this is where people start promising God anything to get out. I can't do that. I don't believe God works like that. Just like he is not a Knicks fan. I do believe that God has given me the strength to get through this. I have to be strong. Think Katniss, think.

Rooco and Rodriguez knew we were down here. They'll tell somebody. That's if they are still alive. What happened out there? Did one of the buildings come down. Jeez, did it collapse. If it did how many people died. Then it came over me, There were thousands of people still in there and... oh shit...all those cops and firemen. Damn.

I start to cry. Sobbing. I have to keep my head. I smack it against the door. That hurt but it brings me back. Control yourself. Katniss. Think.

Then something comes over the radio that catches my attention. "We have reports of MOS trapped in the Cortland Station. Repeat Cortland Station."

Oh great. They know we're here. Great. I'm feeling better now. I have to believe help is on the way.

The rumbling starts. OH MY GOD! What's happening. OH GOD PLEASE NO!

The crap that pins me has shifted. It is more pressure in some places and less in others. Damn, what happened. Oh God, did the rest of the building collapse or did the other one come down too. It's too much to handle. I have to think about the job in front of me, getting out.

I do have more movement with my right hand. I can get to my flashlight. I turn it on. It lights up my immediate area. I'm up against a stainless steel door. There is debris all around me. Other then that, nothing. And the pressure on my chest has gotten any better.

I've been here a while. I can't see my watch. It's on my left wrist. I hate not knowing what time it is. I'm obsessive about it. And to make matters worse. I have to pee.

I have to hold it in. The pressure is unbearable. Oh damn. Damn. Damn. I can't hold it in anymore. I can feel I can't hold it in anymore. Oh, here it come. I'm peeing on myself. I can feel the warm liquid running down my leg and into my shoes. Yuck. This is disgusting. But it could be worse. At least I can still feel. My back might be hurt but it's not broken. I can wiggle my toes, my right arm works and I can wiggle my left hand. That's good.

It is so quiet. Like one of those sensory deprivation tanks. They have you in complete darkness and silence. I imagine that leaves you a lot of time with your thoughts.

Hey. What is that? I can hear something. Help is here. Oh, how do I get their attention.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" A loud whine comes from my radio. They are running feedback through my radio. They are so smart. But can they hear it. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" it goes again. "Hello. Can you hear us?"

Damn. I can't call back. Think Kat think. My flashlight. I turn it on and smack it against the door. bang... bang... bang... bang... bang... bang. I stop and listen for an answer. Nothing. I'll try again. bang... bang... bang... bang... bang... bang. I listen again.

Still nothing. Oh God, maybe I just imagined it. No I don't believe that. I heard something. I know I did. I hit the door again bang... bang... bang... bang... bang... bang...

"Hello. Hello. Hello. Can you hear us?" bang... bang... bang... bang... bang... "We can hear you." Oh God they hear me. Thank God. bang... bang... bang... bang... bang... "We can hear you."

"We think you're pretty deep. It'll be a while." All I can say to myself is "Thank you."

"I'm Captain Rogers from Rescue Four. We're starting now." I can hear them in the background. "Get the Hurst tools, airbags, torch and a K12 saw."

I start to cry. Oh I'm being saved. Oh God thanks.

I start to hear machinery. I think it's the Hurst tools. The Hurst tools are the Jaws of Life. They have a spreading capacity of 60,000 pounds. That's pretty good. But how much is there? It must be a lot of tonnage they have to move.

"From the look of thing we are at least twenty feet from you. It's going to take a while." Oh I hope it's not too long, I'm starting to get tired. My eyes are droopy. I shouldn't be that tired. Oh crap, maybe it's a head injury. Damn, now I have to worry about staying awake. I tap my flashlight to signal that I heard them.


	3. Chapter 3 The Rescue

**Chapter 3 The Rescue**

I can hear them trying to move debris. The only problem is when they move something other crap fills the void. I'm getting tired but I have to stay awake. I don't even know what time it is. I haven't heard anything on my radio in a while. The batteries must have gone dead.

"Hello, are you still with us." I smack my flashlight bang... bang... bang... "We hear you. We've only tunneled a few feet. But we're on our way." There is more digging. More noise. I can hear the sound of the spreaders moving stuff. The saw cutting metal and concrete and now I hear a blow torch cutting. Oh please hurry. I'm getting very lightheaded. Why would I be getting lightheaded. Think. Oh shit. My blood pressure is dropping. Why? Think. I might have an internal injury. Internal bleeding. I take a deep breath and stare into nothing. I can't see a thing. I am in total darkness. Some sand or something grainy, like plaster dust falls on my head. Something is loose above me. I can't even scream to tell them. Damn. But then it happens. More comes crashing down.

* * *

"Kat! Kat! Are you alright? Answer us! Kat! Can you hear me."

"Oh my legs!" I call out "Yes I can hear you." Oh wow! I can talk again. While the pressure on my legs has increased the pressure on my chest has decreased.

"We thought you went unconscious. We hadn't heard from you in fifteen minutes. How do you feel?"

Fifteen minutes. I must have passed out. When the debris shifted the blood in my head went to parts where the pressure was reduced. Then I woke up when my body came back into sync.

"I'm in a lot of pain. My legs are pinned the worse."

"Can you identify where you are? Maybe a marking on the wall."

"I'm pinned against a steel door. No marking though."

"Okay. Listen. We got your Sargent out. Alive but seriously injured." That's a bit of good news. "And your father is on the way here." Oh God thank you.

"Thanks." I need my father more then ever right now. They go back to digging. Moving. Cutting. And by the sound of the last crash they have more shit to dig through, move or cut.

* * *

"Kat. Here's your dad." Oh shit he's here. I start to cry. No more then cry, sob. I can feel the tears pouring down my face. I try to call him but I can't get the words out.

"Katniss. It's dad. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah. I can hear you." I hope he heard that. I spoke it in such a low tone. "DAD!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

"Honey I hear you." Oh God thanks he hears me "Honey, you need to remain calm." Shit. That is what we tell everyone in an emergency situation. Don't panic is another. Until you're here you have no idea what they're going through. I honestly think this is the perfect time to panic .

"Okay Dad."

"Kat. Gale and his dad are okay. They're both on their way downtown." Thanks for the small things. I hadn't been worried about Vic Senior since I knew he was off duty but I didn't know Gale's schedule.

"Dad, have you heard from Peeta? You know he was downtown today."

"No, not yet. Your Mom has a phone number to call if he shows up at home." He's not going home. He's probably at the precinct right now trying to get information.

"Dad... Try the station to see if Peeta is there."

"Okay. Be right back."

"Listen Kat. We have to try something else. The debris pile is very unsteady. I'm afraid it will crush you. We're going to try to get you from a different angle."

"Okay." Jeez, I am so tired. I'm thirsty. I'm soaked with piss. I can't feel my toes. Now they are afraid I might get crushed. Get Peeta here soon. I don't want to die without saying good bye. I hear the saw start. But I don't think it's on the pile. It's near though.

* * *

It seems like hours since I've heard some news. "Kat. We've cut our way into the room on the other side of the wall. We're going to try to get to you through that door."

"That's nice. Ring when you get here." What did I just say? Something is wrong with me. I'm sure of it now. I can hear them working on the other side of the door. I've lost all track of time. They could have been working ten minutes or ten hours. I just don't know. I hear and feel a knock at the door. "I hear you." I am so tired I can't muster the energy to talk. I'm struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Kat. I need you awake. Are you awake?"

"Um. Yeah."

"What side of the door are you on?"

"Ah..." I can't answer.

"Kat. We have to cut the door. I need to know where you are."

"Okay."

"Kat. Can you hear me." I can't answer. My eyes close. I can hear them talk but I can't make my mouth move. "Get me the thermal imaging camera. We'll see her heat signature through the door."

"Very smart idea." I say to myself. I hear something on my right side. It's a drill bit coming through the door. A light shines through and a small snake comes through. "I knew there were alligators in the subway, but snakes."

"Kat. We see you. Stay still. We're going to start cutting." The door starts vibrating and a small saw blade comes through.

"How could something so tiny be so loud." They start at the top and cut down to the bottom of the door. The sawing has stopped.

"Kat. We're going to remove the door. Do you understand?"

"Remember to knock when you get there."

"Hurry up. She's becoming unresponsive. One, two, three. Lower it."

* * *

"Katniss. Can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you. We sleep in the same bed." I open my eyes and see my Dad glaring at Peeta.

"Katniss. We're in the ambulance. On the way to the hospital." He goes to touch me and I move his hand away. "What's wrong?"

"Don't touch me please."

"Katniss, why?"

"I need a shower. I'm disgusting." Peeta, my Dad and the medic all laugh.

"She'll be okay with an attitude like that." The medic says.

"I don't care about that. I'm just glad you're okay." I think I hear Peeta say.

"But I care."


	4. Chapter 4 The Visitors

**Chapter 4 The Visitors**

"I love you." He leans over to kiss me.

"I love you too." I kiss him back.

"I wonder what it would be like to make love on a hospital bed?"\So many possibilities.

"I don't know. Wanna try?" I'm not sure what I can do with my leg in a cast.

"Um. I'd love to." But I'm willing to try.

"Um, excuse us." Uh oh.

"Hi Mom, Dad." I greet my parents.

"Mrs. Everdeen, Mr. Everdeen. Um, hi." Peeta stands up straight.

"Peeta."My Mom says.

"Peeta." My Dad says.

"Um, I guess I'll leave. I'll, ah, see you later. Bye."

"Peeta." My Mom says good-bye.

"Peeta." My Dad says good-bye.

"Mrs. Everdeen, Mr. Everdeen." Peeta scurries out of the room.

"Bye Peeta." I hope he heard me. "Dad, you have got to stop scaring Peeta."

"Honey, I'm just doing what dad's do." He grins broadly. "Keep the boys in line."

"Oh Daddy. Thank you." He kisses me.

I look up at my Mom and tears are streaming out of her eyes. She turns and punches my Dad in the arm. "This is all your fault!"

"Why is it my fault?" He grabs his arm.

"You let her join the force." She puts her face in her hands.

He gently takes her arm. "Rose, Katniss is an adult." He turns her around and pulls her close. "You and I know damn well neither your or I would be able to stop our girl from doing what she wants."

She nods her head as she backs away from him. Her eyes are bloodshot. She wipes her nose with a tissue. She stands there and stares at me. "Mom." She doesn't answer back. She just kisses me on the cheek. "I love you Mom."

"I love you too." She stands up and squeezes my hand and leaves the room.

My Dad leans over "You're a good girl Katniss. No matter what you and that boy..."

"DADDY!" He just laughs and my face gets hot. I'm probably beet red. "Okay, okay. I just want to say, you're also a good cop."

"Thank you Daddy." He kisses me and leaves the room. Now the water-works start.

* * *

"Hey, Kat! How ya doin'." Jo bounces in.

"Not bad Jo. Considering."

"I just passed some hunky doctors in the hall. A girl could have a wild time in this place."

"We're in a hospital Jo, not a nightclub." Her mind is always on... well we know where Jo's mind is on most of the time.

"I know, I know. But still. Oh, I almost forgot."

"What?"

"I finished my book. Yay!"

"Oh that's great!"

"I'm looking for an agent now to start shopping it."

"Good luck. It's great. I'm going to read it again while I'm here."

"Officer Everdeen, lunch?" One of the nurses sticks his head in.

"Yes, thank you." I say.

"Hi, I'm Johanna Mason, friend of Katniss."

"Hello Johanna Mason, friend of Katniss. I'm Christopher Jones."

"Well Christopher Jones..." She takes his arm as she leaves the room.

"Bye Jo... Jo?" I swear that girl has ADD.

* * *

"Hey, you awake?"

"Yeah Gale. Come on in."

"How ya feelin' today?"

"Not bad." He doesn't look good. "Hey what's wrong?"

"I dunno." He gets a strained look on his face. "I should have been there."

"Gale, don't be like that. You may have died if you were there." I look away. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I wasn't there to protect you."

"We can't be together every day. You can't always be there to protect my back. You're not my partner on the job."

"I know. But wouldn't that be cool. Being partners. Hunting down criminals instead of deer. I can see it now. Hawthorne and Everdeen, Crimebusters." It hurts to laugh, but I do.

"I like that, with one change of course."

"What?"

"It should be Everdeen and Hawthorne."

"What? Are you crazy. I've been on the force longer."

"Hey, hey, hey." Madge says as she make her grand entrance.

"Madge! Come on in."

"Madge." Gale greets her coldly.

"Gale." Madge returns the favor.

"You look great Kit-Kat. How do you feel?"

"Oh much better. I was so disgusting when they brought me in. I peed all over myself. They had to hose me down in the ER."

"Ewe. That is disgusting." She scrunches her nose.

"And worse." I can't even say it.

"Yuch. That is disgusting." She knows what I mean.

"I can't believe you two!" Gale looks incredulous. "Kat! You have a cracked sternum, three broken ribs, a concussion, Stitches in your head, a broken leg, ripped and torn ligaments, tendons and muscles. And you're worried about shitting in your pants."

We just stare at him. He just shakes his head.

"Oh my God. They shaved part of your head." She touches my bandaged head.

"Yeah. But it'll grow back in." Gale takes a deep breath.

"I'll see you later Kat." He grabs my foot and shakes it.

"Bye Gale." He leaves.

"What's wrong with him?" I ask.

"Oh Kat. You know he's a hot head."

"Too bad you guys don't like each other. I always thought you'd make a cute couple."

"EWE! Are you insane. The thought of us together makes my head ache."

"Well I sorta..." She cuts me off.

"Don't even give it another thought. Let's change the subject."

"To what?"

"I saw Jo in the hallway hitting on a doctor."

"That's Christopher. He's not a doctor. He's a nurse." She nods. "She won't get far, he has a boyfriend. A flight attendant."

"Her gaydar must be down."

"It doesn't work well for guys. It's better for women." She nods some more.

* * *

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Professor. Come on in!"

"You don't look that bad. I can't believe you're taking up bed."

He's holding a gift bag. "What did you bring me?"

"Oh, it's for when you're released. Here." I peek in the bag. "And Annie says get well soon. She can't get into the city yet."

"I'll call her. Oooooh, my favorite tequila. Thank you." He leans down and kisses me. "When did they let you out of jail?" I ask.

"Oh stop it. I only spent the night. And it was for a good cause."

"What was it this time? The whales, the Republicans, the banks, the corporations, the insurance companies, or what?" He just shakes his head.

"You did good."

"Thank you Professor Abernathy."

"You know you can apply for law school again."

"Why?"

"I miss our little debates in class. Even though they were only pre-law classes."

"You'll just have to accept that I'm on the side of the man."

"Get well soon."

"Bye Professor."

I lie my head on the pillow. I'm tired. I think I'll take a nap. You know what. I love my friends and family.

* * *

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this little story. I debated how light to make the last chapter. It's a balancing act considering the seriousness of the subject matter and the comedic nature of this Katniss and the other characters in this story's universe. I hope I did a good job.

You can find more stories about Katniss, Peeta, her friends and family in these stories: "The Wedding," "We're Having a Baby" and "Everlark Holiday Specials." They happen in this universe. Be aware they are for a mature audience.

For another September Eleventh story I wrote "FireGirl." It is much more dramatic than "Trapped." It tells the story Katniss as a young member of the FDNY. It's follow-up is "FireGirl:Aftermath." "FireGirl" is for mature audiences because of the nature of the subject matter and language.

Thanks for reading.


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